The End of Watch AI trend is a remake of the locker-room opening of the 2012 film End of Watch, where an officer films himself and shows his gear to the camera one item at a time. To make it, upload one photo to videosi and get a 15-second clip of you in the same locker room, with the film audio on it.
This guide goes past the page FAQ: what gear shows up, why the shot looks the way it does, how the 2023 and 2026 versions differ, a no-weapon option, how to film a real version and what to know before you post.
Key takeaways
- The trend recreates the locker scene from the 2012 film End of Watch, directed by David Ayer.
- One adult photo is the only input, and the clip is 15 seconds with the film audio.
- Pick police duty gear or an everyday version with no weapons.
- Label the clip as AI when you post it, and keep it playful and non-commercial.
- One video costs 13 credits, with packs from $6.99.
In this guide
- What is the End of Watch locker scene trend, exactly?
- Which pieces of gear appear in the locker scene?
- Why is the shot so close and wide-angle?
- How is the 2023 version different from the 2026 AI version?
- What kind of photo gives the best End of Watch AI result?
- Can I make an everyday version with no weapons?
- How do I film a real-life version on my phone?
- Should I label the clip as AI when I post it?
- What should I know about the film's copyright?
- Where does the phrase "end of watch" come from?
- What does one End of Watch AI video cost?
What is the End of Watch locker scene trend, exactly?
It is a short remake of the opening of the 2012 film End of Watch, where a police officer films himself in a station locker room and shows his gear to the lens, item by item. The film is an American action thriller written and directed by David Ayer, and the officer is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. The format is the close camera, the item-by-item show and the talking to the lens, not a dance or a song.
The scene first spread as a TikTok format in August 2023. A second wave started in August 2026 with tutorials, and AI clips followed in late October 2026. The End of Watch AI page covers the short answer; this guide covers the details around it.
Which pieces of gear appear in the locker scene?
In the police duty gear version on videosi, the items come in a fixed order: a black pistol held side-on, a small tactical flashlight switched on toward the lens, a folding knife, a window-breaker tool, a pair of steel handcuffs, a can of pepper spray and two spare magazines. That mirrors the way the scene walks through an officer's belt and pockets.
The pistol stays side-on with the muzzle pointing away, and it never points at the camera or at anyone. That is a deliberate rule in the setup, because a gun aimed at the lens is the one thing that would make the clip hard to share.
Why is the shot so close and wide-angle?
The film mixes found-footage and traditional filmmaking. Most scenes were shot with four cameras at once: a handheld camera operated by Gyllenhaal, cameras clipped to the vests of Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, and dashboard footage from the patrol car. Some scenes were filmed entirely by Gyllenhaal himself. In the story, the two partners record their work for a college class, so the close, slightly distorted view looks like something a person would hold in front of their own face.
That look is what people copy. The camera sits a short distance from the face, the lens is wide, and items are pushed right up to it so they look large. It also explains why small objects held close can come out a little warped in an AI clip: the shot itself is built around objects being very near the lens.
How is the 2023 version different from the 2026 AI version?
The 2023 remakes were filmed by people with whatever they had at hand. Dumbbells and lifting belts made a gym edition, detergent and an iron made a laundry edition, and some film edits just put captions over the original clip. Each one needed a location, a camera and a few takes.
The 2026 AI version needs none of that. You give one photo and the tool puts you into the original locker room, shot for shot, with the same timing. Face, hair, clothes and skin tone come from your photo, and the people in the background are replaced with different ordinary adults. The finished 15-second clip carries the film audio, while 2023 remakes often used a different music sound instead. Because the AI wave only started recently, there is still room to stand out with a clean version.
What kind of photo gives the best End of Watch AI result?
Use one adult, facing the camera, in even light. Sunglasses, side angles, group shots and dark rooms are the usual reasons a result does not look like the person. A plain background helps, and so does a photo where the hair and clothes are what you want to see in the locker room, since both are taken from the photo.
Only the person in your photo is swapped in. Characters from films, cartoons or games are not supported, and photos of minors are not allowed for the duty gear version because it shows a handgun. If you want to use a friend, make sure they agree to it.
Can I make an everyday version with no weapons?
Yes. The Everyday stuff option replaces every item with ordinary objects, in this order: a phone held side-on, the phone's flashlight switched on toward the lens, a set of keys, a TV remote, a pair of sunglasses, a coffee mug and two water bottles. No weapons appear at all.
This is the version to pick if you plan to post on a platform with strict weapon rules, or if you just want the comedy. The film audio still plays over it, so the contrast between serious dialogue and a TV remote is the joke. It also matches the spirit of the 2023 gym and laundry remakes, which swapped duty gear for what was nearby.
How do I film a real-life version on my phone?
Plan the five beats of the scene. First, hold the first item side-on to the lens in front of a row of lockers. Second, let a bright light flare into the camera, which a phone flashlight can do. Third, bring the next items up close, one at a time, while you talk. Fourth, lean down out of frame and come back up. Fifth, hold a final pair of items to the lens and finish your line.
Hold the phone close to your face with a wide lens, and keep the movement slightly handheld. Gym lockers, a laundry room or a hallway closet all work. If you would rather skip filming, the AI page gives you the same beats from a photo, and you can compare it with your own take.
Should I label the clip as AI when I post it?
Yes, label it. A clip of you in a police locker room is easy to take for real footage at a glance, and a short AI tag in the caption or the platform's own AI toggle avoids confusion. It also keeps you on the right side of platform rules about synthetic media.
Keep the tone clearly playful, and do not present the clip as a real police video or as real police gear. With the duty gear version, the pistol always stays side-on and pointing away, and you should not edit it to look like a threat.
What should I know about the film's copyright?
The scene comes from a copyrighted film, so treat your remake as a fun fan clip. Post it for entertainment, label it as AI-generated, and do not use it to advertise a product or imply the film's makers endorse you. The AI clip keeps the film's locker room and shots and swaps the person, and it carries the film audio from the scene, so a platform's content checks may flag the sound.
If you want to avoid that, post it as a personal clip and be ready to swap the audio inside the platform's own editor if it is muted. When in doubt, keep it short and non-commercial.
Where does the phrase "end of watch" come from?
"End of watch" is US police language for the end of an officer's shift, and on memorials it marks the date an officer died on duty. The 2012 film takes its title from it. An End of Watch Call, also called a Last Radio Call, is a ceremony held after an officer dies, usually in the line of duty. Officers gather around a police radio, and the dispatcher calls the officer's unit, pauses for silence and calls again.
The phrase carries weight for many people, so the trend only borrows the film's opening locker scene, not the ceremony. Keep that in mind when you write a caption.
What does one End of Watch AI video cost?
A 15-second Standard 720p End of Watch video costs 13 credits on videosi. The Single pack is $6.99 for 10 credits and the Trio Pack is $17.99 for 30 credits, so one video is more than a Single pack and fits inside a Trio Pack with credits left over. Higher tiers and 1080p cost more.
You choose the gear option before generating, so pick between the duty gear and the everyday version once, and check your photo first, because each render uses credits.
Sources: End of Watch on Wikipedia and End of Watch Call on Wikipedia. Ready to try it? Open videosi.io/end-of-watch-ai.
